CASH COWS

  According to Forbes,  October 19, 2015, the money value of sports in America will reach $73.5 BILLION by 2019, and the Dallas Cowboys is currently the wealthiest sports franchise at $4.8 BILLION.

   COLLEGE SPORTS:
  According to Business Insider, October 14, 2016, 231 NCAA Division I colleges and universities generated $9.15 BILLION during the 2015 fiscal year.

   COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
   According to Sports Money, October 21, 2015, college football's three largest money makers were the University of Texas, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Tennessee.  These three produced a combined total of $300 million in the 2015 fiscal year.
   Nick Saban, head football coach at the University of Alabama, and Jim Harbaugh, head football coach at the University of Michigan, each earn more than $7 million per year---while college teachers earn a teacher's pay.

   HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL:
   In Allen, Texas, voters approved a referendum and built a $60 million state-of-the-art high school football stadium with 18,000 seats.
   According to dfwVarsity, the average salary of a high school football coach in the state of Texas is $98,668---while other teachers earn a teacher's pay.
   According to the Moultrie Observer, seventeen Georgia high school football coaches earn at least $100,000 per year, and the head football coach at Buford High School is paid $174,000 per year---while other teachers earn a teacher's pay.

   OUTSIDE THE LINES:
   According to a study at Georgetown University, the money value of religion in America is worth $1.2 TRILLION in the U.S. economy, which is more than Google and Apple combined.
   It is difficult to separate the wealth of churches from religions since world religions have churches and religions, and also because world religions also have branches in the United States.
   Therefore, here is a list of the world's top ten richest religions beginning with the wealthiest:

   #1  Roman Catholic Church
   #2  Islam
   #3  Judaism
   #4  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
   #5  The Church of England
   #6   Episcopalian
   #7   Televangelism
   #8   Protestantism
   #9   Freemasonary
   #10 The Church of Scientology

   What, then, do Americans value?
   Obviously, Americans value sports and Americans value religion because these are the places where they spend their money.  But in which order to Americans value most:  is sports first, or is religion first?
   I am reminded of a story in the second chapter of the book of Matthew in the Bible about the day when wise men came to Jerusalem in search of Jesus.

      "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and worshipped him:  and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."  (Matthew 2: 11)

   Jesus said,
      "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."          (Matthew 6: 21)

   As Christians, do we lay our treasures at the feet of Jesus, do we give our money to the cause of the Gospel of Christ, or do we give our money to the cash cows of sports and religion?